


White Sand

by Onyrik



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Desert, F/M, Robots, Survival
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-06
Updated: 2015-06-19
Packaged: 2018-04-03 03:56:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4085737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onyrik/pseuds/Onyrik
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Earth has now become an endless flatland of white sand, with few remains of cities and towns and few oasis of fat plants decorating it. Humanity is on the verge of extinction, and the people that still live fights for their survival.<br/>Dirk is one of them, who travels around the white desert along his two robot companions, Sawtooth and Squarewave. In this endless journey, that is filled with the desperate search of supplies, he finally meets someone else. Someone human. The journey has now become less lonely and silent.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Red Sun On The Empty Wasteland

The red Sun was burning hot today. Its bright rays were slamming themselves upon the heated earth, everything blurred in a constant heat haze that never ended. The horizon was just a faint line of rusty sky fused with the white sand that covered everything, an empty endless level ground colored with a blinding white.

Under the gas mask, Dirk’s face was so hot, and no, not hot as in ‘sexy’, hot as in 'fucking melting itself off’. Beads of sweat were sliding down and piling up on the chin area of the mask, and they kept coming. It was not the best situation, but it’s either this or risking his life in the toxic atmosphere of the white desert. Well, he wouldn’t exactly die instantly, it wasn’t poisonous. The air was filled with countless particles of sand and rust and other toxic materials, and trying to live without a gas mask was like being on a ceaseless Everest plain, but instead of being cold, it was hot like Hell.

He was kinda jealous of how Sawtooth and Squarewave didn’t have his same issues coping with the heat. He should probably think about making himself a robot body, at some point during this neverending journey. It would probably make many things easier for him: no food, no water, nothing that a normal human would need. And he would just have to make his battery capable of recharging with different sources of energy. No big deal. Yeah, what a dream. A dream that is getting all burnt by the heat the Sun keeps emitting, merciless, without even looking at them, probably, uncaring, like every other celestial body in the wide space outside the rust colored sky that spread without a cloud staining it over the deserted wasteland that Earth had become.

The white desert kept going as far as the eye could see. Everything was endless here: the heat, the haze, the lack of oxygen, and even the desert. All of them were not pleasant things though, and alas, Dirk also knew that his water stock wasn’t infinite, and it was going to run out pretty soon. He needed to find some ruins, or even a cactus,or some other water-retaining plant that could be source of the precious water for him. He found himself once again looking at Sawtooth, the silent giant that towered behind him, walking with wide steps, his worn out black coat waving as silently as his owner. Meanwhile, Squarewave was a clusterfuck of noises, creaking and other electronical and mechanical noises that kept coming out loudly every step he took, while his backpack shook with every movement, the stuff inside shuffling and rattling as well. Even though, what noises could food containers and water bottles make? It was probably Squarewave that was doing these noises too.

His thoughts were interrupted as a cold hand, contrasting with the heat, rested itself on his shoulder. His head snapped up to see that Sawtooth was facing him, his head slightly tilted in a questioning gesture. Apparently, being lost in thought made him slow down so much that the taller robot passed him. Dirk shook his head.

“I’m fine. Let’s keep going.” was the brief response, after which he began walking with his usual quick pace. Sawtooth stood there for a split second, looking at the young man go, before starting to walk again as well. Squarewave hurried up to not be left behind, his legs even more noisy.

The red Sun was still shining merciless on the emtpy wasteland, a gentle yet hot breeze breathing, the sand dancing around with grace. Silence soon surrounded the area where the group had just passed.

Another place left behind, waiting to not be remembered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It all started with a simple image.  
> http://mspabooru.com//images/15/3cd939d0f9477df57dfb96ebcf7ac41f.jpeg  
> Now we're here.  
> What have I done.


	2. The Unexptected That Still Lives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fight for survival had seemingly took a brief turn for the better... only for the unexpected to burst through the metaphorical door and ruining everything.

The rusty sky was taking a dirty blue color as the Sun slowly descended upon the horizon, signaling the day ending and the start of the night. Alas, no change was going to come for the temperature. The heat will still be there, only with no Sun to keep it as intense as in the daylight.

The shadow of the dune the group had taken shelter under was of little help. Dirk rummaged through the backpack Squarewave had handed him and produced a bottle of water, still fresh, thanks to the structure of the backpack, and didn’t hesitate to take a mouthful of the precious liquid. When he finished, the contents of the bottle was reduced to a mere half.

“Damn…” he cussed, putting in its place the cap and placing the bottle back inside the backpack. As much as he wasn’t one to panick, he was getting worried, as their supplies were quickly depleting, and when they took shelter behind the dune, there was nothing in sight that could even remotely look like ruins. Resting for the night was tempting, but they had to use that relatively fresh time of the day to go on, a desperate attempt at finding something that wasn’t white sand.

He got up with a grunt, and faced the two robots, sitting across him. They both turned up their head to look at him.

“We have to go on. We need to find some place to get some water and animals, and we won’t find anything if we sit here doint nothing.”. Strolling to the backpack, he picked it up and threw it to Squarewave. With a loud and metallic *SLAM* the robot was sent to the ground, backpack resting on top of him. He complained with a loud buzzing.

“Squarewave, you’re in charge of the backpack, so stop complaining.” Dirk said, not even facing the smaller robot, as he was instead focused on the sword in his hand. He still remember when it had been given to him as a gift, and how shiny it was then. Now the blade was still sharp, but the metal was dull, the grey of the material deepened and not as reflecting anymore. It was kinda depressing. With a sudden jerk of his arms, he sheated the blade back in its place, and turned his body to face the vast flatland of sand that spread before his eyes. He heard the clanking and squeaking of Squarewave and the silent steps of Sawtooth getting closer, feeling their presence behind his back. “Let’s go.”

The moon was humongous, as it’d always been since Earth had become the place it is now. Its light was now so intense, there was no more pitch darkness at night, only a trifling umbrage that covered everything like a semi transparent midnight black blanket. It was in this feeble penumbra that Dirk finally saw it.

Shapes. Shapes emerging from the oblate ground, resembling buildings. Dirk had stopped in his track, and so did the two robots behind him. He quickly glanced back at them, then began running towards it, his feet throwing the white sand behind him. It was not real happiness, more like sheer hope that something could be found in the ruins that could help Dirk stay alive. Or maybe he was really happy. He didn’t really know: the only thing the you man wanted was to reach those worn out and old buildings. He could hear Squarewave making an absurd amount of noises while running and the heavy steps Sawtooth took while running, and that only made him want to get there faster and faster- until he finally arrived, out of breath and panting hard.

“Fucking finally… yo, Squarewave, pass me the bottle of water… no, not ‘a’ bottle, 'the’ bottle, the one I already started.”. The smaller robot tossed the right bottle to Dirk, which he greedily began drinking as he started walking again. Now that they arrived, they needed to start exploring the ruins for whatever things they could find.

The buildings were much like normal, typical buildings that everyone could see in any city. The only thing that made them different was the advanced state of decadence afflicting the walls, the concrete and the metal that composed the structure of the edifices. Yellowish stains were forming onto the paint and spreading, the glass was dirty and opaque, with their wooden frames rotten and sometimes even putrid, or infested with maggots that were slowly eating it. The metal of every gutter was oxidized to the core, and even the slightest of touches was enough to make it crumble.

They were luckier with the inside, where the sinks were still somewhat functioning, and water could still come out of it, albeit filthy. While Sawtooth was still around, checking if there was any other place to raid and, possibly, if there was someone else besides them, Squarewave and Dirk were working on filtering the water inside a house. B the time they were done, they had filled quite a lot of bottles. The only thing to do now was hunting for food. It wasn’t uncommon for some wild animals, birds, fennec foxes and even snakes to roam around the ruins of a city, feeding themselves off the corpses of humans, the grass scattered around and even by hunting other animals. Now, Dirk had to catch something as well.

The desert wheatear had been lured by the bread crumbs on the ground. Soon, a couple of other birds joined the buffet. Dirk, crouched behind the remains of a wall, was watching them eating, waiting for the moment he could get near and throw the metal net on them. The wall wasn’t giving a big shadow, and the young man’s body was mostly out in the sun, sweating hard under his coat and gas mask. If only the good moment would come fast…

Suddenly, he got tired of waiting. Too tired to even care about the good moment, he just stood up, readied the net in his hands and tiptoed towards the group of birds, careful to avoid any abrupt movement that would scare them. He was getting closer… so close… they’re there, still eating, unaware that he’s ready to throw the net and trap and eat them all- *CATLANK*.

The loud noise of pans and other cooking utensils was loud and surprising. The birds all scattered away, flying panicked, and Dirk was left standing there, the net hanging from his hands and resting onto the ground. His head turned towards the nearby building that was the source of the noises. An annoyed sneer formed on his face, hidden by the mask.

The door easily opened, its lock being worn out and too weak to hold it closed, even though it had apparently been locked by someone. The house, at first glance empty and abandoned, showed signs of inhabitation. The furniture was scarce, but not decading. It actually was in fairly good state. In the kitchen, lying on the floor, were various pans and kitchen utensils, scattered in a big mess. And lying not far by these things was something else. It had clothes, a t-shirt with cyan blue sleeves, and a simple white skirt. It was fairly chubby, and from its head sprouted a little bush of black hair. It was a human being. The human being was a young girl, around Dirk’s own age. He remained there, immobile, staring at her body, which slightly shifted from time to time. Inside his gas mask, his eyes were wide.

“Fuck.”.


	3. A Cake Through The Gas Mask

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dirk and Jane now talk a bit, and Jane insists on thanking Dirk with one of her special cakes, which he doesn't feel like refusing.

The breeze of the night in the desert was a little freshier than the one of the day, but it was still dry and warm, and it didn't really helped fighting the persistent heat in the air. The night sky, however, with its huge moon illuminating the wasteland, wasn't source of real hotness. If someone managed to find some place covered by the shadows and protected from the wind, an actual fresh place could be found. The inside of a house was one of these fresh places.

"Hey. Are you alright? C'mon, wake up."

A gentle hand patted her cheek gingerly, and her eyes blinked a few time before opening. Before them, a flaming red gas mask, with two big, pointy anime shades where the eyes should be seen, and a creamy white and pointy bush of hair sprouting from the back of the mask. It took a few moment for her mind to process what she was seeing, and finally reached the conclusion that it was, in all honesty, a hilarious sight for her. After which, she couldn't contain a small chuckle, even by putting her hands on her mouth.

Dirk made a confused face behind the mask. What was this girl laughing at was unknown to him, and only made her look weird in his eyes. "Why are you even laughing? Are you still delirious?".

The question brought her back into reality. He eyes looked at the masked face for a bit longer, before she gasped, suddenly remembering. "Ah! I- I apologize, I didn't intend to sound rude-". She then noticed that his hand was holding the back of her head up, and finally realized how close they both were. A bit too close for her liking, she hasn't even met someone in such a long time, and now suddenly, she was having a close-up meeting with another unknown human being? It was definitely a bit too much. Which is why she hurriedly shuffled into a sitting position, while simultaneously moving a bit farther from the other guy. Were they even a guy? It was kind of hard to tell, with that gas mask.

"Did I... What happened?" she questioned, looking around her in confusion. A white half-mask was lying near the two. "Did I faint? Gosh, these mask is really useless then...".

Dirk rummaged a bit through his little bag, and produced something. "Take this.". He handed her a typical gas mask, the kind that you usually see in the movies. "Probably more useful.".

The girl blinked a few times, looking at the black object that he was handing her. Reluctantly, she took it and tried wearing it on her head. It was of a rubber-ish material that didn't exactly slide well on the skin and hair, making the process of putting it on incredibly frustrating, and she considered just throwing it away in a little fit,. But in the end, she managed to wear it perfectly. The air she breathed now was way cleaner than the one she iwas inhaling a few seconds ago.

"I guess that now we won't have to worry about you fainting because you got intoxicated. At least you didn't go through worse symptoms. Guess that half-mask helped out a bit." Dirk said, while getting up, placing a hand on his hip. The girl looked up to him. "I must thank you, good sir! I wouldn't know what could have happened if there really wasn't anyone around.". The girl followed Dirk's example, and stood up as well. "May I inquire as to what your name is? I am Jane Crocker. But last names are quite pointless in this situation, so just Jane can work.". With that, she hold out her hand, hoping for a handshake.

Dirk glanced down at her hand, then back at her masked face. "... Dirk." and he shook her hand as well.

"Can I ask what were you thinking of doing with all this kitchen gear?". Dirk looked down on the mess of pans on the floor.

Jane glanced at said mess, and covered her mouth with her hand, a little gasp. Quickly she crouched and started picking up all the pans, spoons and forks and whatever else was on he ground. "I was trying to do a cake, because... I didn't exactly do a cake in so long, plus I have all the ingredients in the basement, so I though... Gosh, I knew I should have been careful when I felt dizzy!". 

Her frenetic talking mixed with the clashing of metal onto metal as she picked up the tools made quite the noise. Dirk just watched for a bit as she struggled with piling everything on her hands, only to fail miserably and make everything fall again. He couldn't help but sigh, and crouched next to her, picking up what fell. Jane blinked as she noticed him helping her, but considering the situation, she didn't complain.

In a few minutes, everything was in its place once again, and the kitchen looked way more clean like this. Jane clapped her hands together to clean them off, and placed them on her hips, looking satisfied at the work. She then turned to look at Dirk, or better, look up at Dirk, as the other guy was pretty tall compared to her.

"You have my thanks, Dirk! I don't know what could've happened to me, hadn't you shown up when you did!".

Dirk waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Don't sweat it. Considering how your personality looks, I think you'd have done the same, although with a more concerned mother act.".

Jane smiled a bit brighter. Apparently she wasn't that offended from his comment. It was sort of a relief to him, sometimes he blurts out things without even thinking about it. "Of course I would! We all need to help out each other in times of need... and if this isn't one of those times, I have no bloody idea what this is!".

Dirk allowed himself to smirk under the gas mask. "You bet. This is some sick real-life apocalypse situation. Even fighting for survival is on the daily script sometimes.".

Meanwhile, Jane walked towards a cupboard and began rummaging inside, searching for something. "However, Dirk, I do believe you should stay here! I'd feel bad not giving you some kind of thank you gift, and I personally think one of my cakes would be good for that.", and she reappeared, holding a bunch of boxes, which were probably the ingredients used in preparing a cake.

Dirk lifted his hands before his chest as if Jane had just pointed a gun towards him. "Yo, this is all sweet and everything, but I don't think it's the right moment to go on and bake some shi-" however he was interrupted by the shorter girl quickly grabbing his arm and pulling him towards a little chair before the counter, in which she forced him to sit. She was now holding a big spoon and was facing him like some kind of bossy housewife. 

"Oh no! You are not going anywhere! I was going to make a cake regardless, and having company is alway better than eating alone. So you stay here and wait for me to be done, don't worry, I'm quick at baking!".

Dirk was dazed as he looked at her while she skillfully prepared everything. She looked so happy of preparing something for two. He didn't have it in him to just ruin her fun. Besides, when was the last time he ate something decent, like a cake? Millennias ago? Eons ago? Too long, that's for sure. So, why not just sitting there and waiting for the possibly delicious treat?

Meanwhile, Sawtooth and Squarewave were peeking from the open door, in complete silent. Sometimes they would look at each other, as if they were asking themselves what the Hell was Dirk doing.

Long story short, the masked guy ended up with a humongous slice of cake handed down on him with a fancy little plate. Dirk studied the piece, trying to understand why was it so big. In the end he gave up and asked at the Goddess who created it, aka, Jane. "Is it normal for cake to be this big? What, do they undergo mutations in a hostile enviroment to adapt and survive as well?".

"No, it's more like an adapting to be a thank you gift! You know, for saving my life and all that jazz. Come on, don't be picky and eat it, it's delicious, I assure!" and she placed a little spoon next to his hand. What a great service.

Dirk looked at the shiny little spoon, then glanced at Jane, standing next to her, as if waiting for him to taste her creation and give an opinion. Suddenly he felt like being a judge in Masterchef. Even though the guys that made that program were proabably all dead by now. He looked back at the cake, and had to admit it looked good. "Fuck it.", he thought.

First he took off the gas mask and grabbed the spoon in his hand. Then, as quickly as possible, he sunk the spoon in the soft and creamy substane. As he pulled out a piece of it, he immediately threw the spoon in his mouth, the flavour literaly exploding on his tongue and flooding his taste buds without mercy. Whether it was because of the abstinence from sweets he had to endure, the possibility of Jane being the one true cake Goddess, or a weird amalgamation of the two possibilities, Dirk could only slowly put his mask back on and turn to face Jane, who was expectantly awaiting for him to say something, her hand entwined together. The young man lifted his hand, the thumb sticking up, and spoke briefly.

"It's fucking heavenly, Jane.".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a filler thing, or, something... A slightly lighter chapter, so to speak.


End file.
